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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 124 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. 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. staff — a stick
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. ground — crushed
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. suit — clothes
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lean — to bend
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. 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