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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: suit · clip · key · bay · toast · squash · pit · chair

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. clip — a video
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. clip — to cut
  13. toast — bread
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pit — in a race
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chair — to sit on

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