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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rule — a law
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. club — for dancing
  9. staff — a stick
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. club — for golf
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — government
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mark — a grade
  23. club — a group
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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