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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. current — happening now
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — clever

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