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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. field — for sport
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. clip — a video
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. can — to be able to
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. clip — for paper

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