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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mug — to rob
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mug — a face
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mug — a cup
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ball — a great time
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kid — child
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wake — before a funeral

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