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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rash — a series
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rash — hasty
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chair — to sit on

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