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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: safe · pitcher · toast · bay · chair · clip · pop · fine

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fine — all right
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — a video
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pop — soda
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. clip — for paper
  23. toast — bread
  24. fine — high quality

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