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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chair — a leader
  7. roll — a list
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chest — of your body
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. swing — music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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