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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pit — a hole
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. field — for sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. field — farmland
  18. plane — a tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. bat — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bat — for baseball

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