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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — a price
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. chair — a leader
  17. charge — in control
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bore — gave birth

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