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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hand — help
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mark — a grade
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. branch — a division
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hand — in cards
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mine — for digging
  24. plane — an aircraft

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