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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. can — to be able to
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — a leader
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. craft — boats
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. clip — a video
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pitch — completely
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. suit — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — to fit
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. last — final

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