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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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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: racket · chair · firm · spell · cabinet · current · fan · trunk

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. firm — decided
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — electric
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chair — a leader
  13. spell — magic
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. current — of water
  17. firm — a company
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — a supporter

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