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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.

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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: kick · pit · lean · chair · swing · perch · can · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. can — to be able to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a hole
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. perch — the fish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — thin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chair — a professorship

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