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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. squash — the sport
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. object — an aim
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rock — a stone
  10. club — a group
  11. object — a thing
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — help
  17. kick — in football
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. object — to protest
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. club — for dancing

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