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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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468
Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chip — for betting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a great time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. swing — music

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