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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. suit — to fit
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. club — for golf
  16. stem — to come from
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. club — a group
  20. kick — in football
  21. suit — clothes
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. racket — a loud noise

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