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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — a thing
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pop — music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rock — music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pop — to visit
  19. object — to protest
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — soda
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — a company

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