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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — of a plant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. scale — in music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. spell — magic
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. root — of a word
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. spell — a short time

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