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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. staff — employees
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pit — in a race
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. file — a line of people
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a document
  22. lie — to recline
  23. file — a tool
  24. chair — a leader

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