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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 · rush · wake · chair · ruler · bulb · ground · snap

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ground — a position
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to click
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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