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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: can · club · chair · stick · mate · mouse · leaves · rock

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. club — a group
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for golf
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — a stone

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