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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spring — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — to get on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — the season
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — a committee
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — a coil
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wave — of the sea

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