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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.

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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — to get on
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mate — to breed
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mate — a friend
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mark — a trace
  16. board — a committee
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — clever
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mate — a partner

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