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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. current — electric
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. safe — out of danger

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