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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: current · racket · hide · deal · squash · chair · game · safe

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. squash — to crush
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. current — electric
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. current — of water
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a leader

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