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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: date · rush · chip · board · firm · pitcher · chair · racket

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — steady
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. firm — a company
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — decided
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a committee
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. board — to get on

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