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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. object — an aim
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stand — to bear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. object — to protest
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. object — a thing
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. land — to come down
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — a leader
  24. land — ground

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