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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · bass · clip · suit · date · row · chair · bear

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — a line
  8. bass — the fish
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ball — a dance
  11. date — the fruit
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chair — a leader
  20. clip — a video
  21. bass — low music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. clip — to cut

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