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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ball — a great time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ball — a dance
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pop — music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. file — a document
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. file — a tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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