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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. row — to paddle
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a line
  10. band — a music group
  11. chair — a leader
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. band — a ring
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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