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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. land — to come down
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. swing — music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — to play on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rest — a break
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. land — a country
  21. ball — a great time
  22. swing — in golf
  23. land — ground
  24. chair — a professorship

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