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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — for golf
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. club — a group
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chair — a professorship

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