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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 124 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — to rob
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spring — the season
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — a trail
  9. roll — a list
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spring — of water
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a face
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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