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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. firm — a company
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. firm — steady
  11. press — to push
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. press — newspapers
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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