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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.

Words on the sheet
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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. land — a country
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. land — ground
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cue — a hint
  12. land — to come down
  13. chair — a leader
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rash — hasty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — for pool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rash — a series
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — moving air

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