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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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. object — to protest
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — a thing
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. deal — to handle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. race — a contest
  16. suit — to fit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wake — a trail
  19. race — the arms race
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. race — humankind

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