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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. charge — a price
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. face — to confront
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — to point toward
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. kid — child

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