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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · toast · ball · racket · land · mine · saw · kick

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. land — a country
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. land — to come down
  13. kick — in football
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ball — a dance
  18. land — ground
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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