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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — to grow
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — the most important part
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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