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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. current — of water
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hand — help
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — in cards
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. current — electric
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chair — to sit on

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