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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: chair · can · fan · mouse · firm · stick · ball · sharp

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. firm — decided
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — steady
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a round shape

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