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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wake — a trail
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. game — wild animals
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mark — a grade
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — in music
  24. suit — in cards

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