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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chair — a leader
  5. face — part of the head
  6. root — the cause
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — a container
  9. vault — a safe
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. face — to confront
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — of a word
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. foot — a measure
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. tube — in a tire

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