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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.

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: fork · current · game · racket · spell · coach · chair · stand

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. chair — a leader
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a match
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. current — of water
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — electric
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — a short time
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. current — happening now
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  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