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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · chair · racket · staff · bear · cabinet · ground · row

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a match
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — the earth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. row — to paddle
  19. staff — employees
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ground — a position
  24. bear — to put up with

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