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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. suit — in cards
  3. kid — to tease
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kid — child
  8. club — for dancing
  9. row — a line
  10. club — for golf
  11. key — in music
  12. charge — in control
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. charge — a price
  16. row — to paddle
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. club — a group
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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