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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 · staff · jam · club · pit · fork · pop · wax

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pop — soda
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — music
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. staff — employees
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — in a road
  22. staff — employees
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wax — for sculpting

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