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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — a leader
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. land — ground
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mark — a grade
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kid — child
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lean — thin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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