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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 120 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 can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. clip — a video
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. clip — for paper
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — all right
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fine — a penalty

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