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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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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: chair · suit · pit · deal · drill · bound · prune · mouse

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — clothes
  9. deal — to handle
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bound — certain
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. suit — to fit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — obliged
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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