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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.

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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kick — in football
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. club — for golf
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. suit — clothes
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a ring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. perch — the fish
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — a group

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