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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 · wake · wind · deal · object · roll · chair · firm

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — to protest
  11. firm — steady
  12. object — an aim
  13. wind — moving air
  14. object — a thing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. firm — a company
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chair — to sit on
  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