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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.

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: object · chair · dip · land · last · kick · swing · pop

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pop — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — finally
  6. pop — soda
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. last — final
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. land — ground
  13. kick — in football
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. object — to protest
  21. swing — to play on
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — a thing
  24. dip — a sauce

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