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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: pitcher · hide · racket · chair · key · leaves · wave · spell

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spell — magic
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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