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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — clever
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. board — a committee
  16. lie — to recline
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com