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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — clothes
  4. swing — music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. capital — a city
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. suit — in cards
  20. clip — for paper
  21. capital — money
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. capital — a big letter

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