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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · field · snap · chair · present · pitcher · suit · cabinet

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. suit — clothes
  4. snap — to click
  5. field — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. field — a subject
  10. present — there
  11. suit — in cards
  12. present — the time now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — farmland
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — a gift
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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