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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 120 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 · current · clip · chair · pitcher · firm · bat · wax

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. current — happening now
  5. firm — steady
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. firm — a company
  16. chair — a leader
  17. current — electric
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. firm — decided
  22. suit — in cards
  23. clip — a video
  24. current — of water

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