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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a leader
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. content — the amount
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bore — to drill
  23. content — happy
  24. calf — a young animal

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