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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 · can · lean · suit · hand · object · cap · bowl

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chair — a leader
  4. suit — clothes
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — help
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lean — thin
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cap — a lid
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. object — a thing
  24. bowl — a dish

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