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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kick — in football
  17. rock — music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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