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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — a stick
  17. clip — a video
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pound — a weight
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — a professorship

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