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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. squash — to crush
  3. club — a group
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — size or range
  14. club — for golf
  15. scale — in music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chair — a leader
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. racket — for tennis

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