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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. game — a match
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. scale — size or range
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. scale — in music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — music

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