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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — for catching
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — a cup
  5. staff — employees
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — in sport
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — a short time
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. staff — a stick
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — letters
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — after costs
  23. staff — employees
  24. tube — a container

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