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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chair — a leader
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stem — to come from
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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