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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. suit — in cards
  4. track — a path
  5. pound — a weight
  6. track — a song
  7. clip — a video
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bank — of a river
  17. clip — to cut
  18. suit — clothes
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. suit — to fit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — to crush

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