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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: row · date · kick · chair · deal · suit

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. row — to paddle
  5. deal — to handle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chair — a leader
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. date — the fruit
  18. suit — to fit

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