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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · bear · fork · chair · pitcher · cold · leaves · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cold — not warm
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bear — the animal

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