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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. board — to get on
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. net — for catching
  9. chair — a leader
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. net — in sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. net — after costs
  18. tube — a container
  19. suit — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tube — the underground
  24. suit — clothes

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