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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. season — in sport
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. capital — money
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — a cup
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fine — high quality
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mug — to rob
  17. capital — a city
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fine — all right
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. bear — to put up with

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