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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · court · stick · clip · wind · chair

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — of law
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. court — of a king
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — for sport
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. clip — to cut
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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