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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. spell — letters
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spell — magic
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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