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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. scale — in music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a dance
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hand — in cards
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cue — a hint
  24. trunk — of a tree

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