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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 120 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.

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: dip · nail · rest · rush · chair · court · fan · racket

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — hurry
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. court — for sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — a break
  16. court — of a king
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — of law
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. dip — to dunk
  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