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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: suit · pass · chair · bound · clip · row · sharp · racket

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — a video
  3. sharp — clever
  4. suit — in cards
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — certain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. suit — to fit
  16. row — a line
  17. bound — tied together
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bound — obliged
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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