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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fall — the season
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hide — to keep secret

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