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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. firm — decided
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a leader
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. firm — steady
  14. bat — the animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. club — a group
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. row — a line
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. firm — a company
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mark — a grade

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