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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — for golf
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bore — to drill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. club — a group
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bore — to tire
  19. band — a music group
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. band — a rubber band

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