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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bat — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. object — an aim
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. object — a thing
  19. degree — from a university
  20. chair — a leader
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cue — a hint

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