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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. tube — a container
  3. rock — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — thin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. last — to go on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. last — finally
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. last — final
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lean — to bend
  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