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

Word bank: racket · chair · toast · kick · fine · nail · cap · rash

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rash — a series
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — a hat
  14. toast — bread
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fine — all right
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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