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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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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — of water
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — electric
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. current — happening now
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a leader
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — to tease
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kid — child
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bank — of a river
  24. foot — the bottom

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