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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rock — music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fine — high quality
  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