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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. can — a tin
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cue — a hint
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cue — a signal
  7. content — happy
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. land — ground
  16. cue — for pool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. content — the amount
  23. can — to be able to
  24. land — a country

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