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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: chair · pound · calf · rule · suit · club

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. club — for golf
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rule — a law
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chair — a leader
  11. suit — in cards
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — a group
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rule — government
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. club — for dancing

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