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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chair — a leader
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rock — a stone
  10. file — a line of people
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rash — hasty
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. file — a tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a document
  24. racket — for tennis

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