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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. club — for golf
  15. roll — a list
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. club — a group
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. root — of a word
  24. roll — on a roll

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