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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. clip — a video
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. clip — for paper

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