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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 120 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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wound — an injury
  14. foot — a measure
  15. scale — in music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cap — of ice
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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