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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cue — for pool
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cue — a signal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. present — a gift
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. present — there
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ground — a position
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ground — crushed

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