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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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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 · lash · suit · stick · pound · foot · game · fork

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. suit — in cards
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. suit — to fit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. suit — clothes
  19. game — a match
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fork — in a road
  23. game — wild animals
  24. foot — the bottom

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