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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. current — of water
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chest — a box
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. current — happening now
  13. root — of a word
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — electric
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — size or range
  24. root — of a plant

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