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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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Word bank
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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: club · suit · band · kick · hide · chair

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chair — a leader
  3. band — a ring
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. suit — to fit
  12. band — a music group
  13. club — for golf
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — a group

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