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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.

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: pit · spell · current · chair · court · wave · clip · key

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. key — the most important part
  4. current — electric
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. spell — magic
  8. clip — a video
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — a hole
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. key — in music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. key — for a lock
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spell — a short time
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. chair — a leader
  24. clip — for paper

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