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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to click
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. dip — to sink
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mouse — for a computer

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