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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — of law
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. court — for sport
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pop — music
  17. court — of a king
  18. clip — a video
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chair — a leader
  24. can — to be able to

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