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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — a young 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