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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: bat · chair · pass · leaves · content · drill · clip · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. clip — a video
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — army training
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — to cut
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — happy
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. drill — the tool
  23. content — the amount
  24. chair — a leader

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