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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 · arm · bay · bear · march · deal · object

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. object — an aim
  4. march — the month
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. object — to protest
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. march — music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. object — a thing
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bay — a horse colour

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