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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: calf · suit · chair · present · clip · tube · pitcher · mark

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. suit — to fit
  3. present — there
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tube — a container
  9. suit — in cards
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — the underground
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. mark — a grade
  20. present — the time now
  21. chair — a leader
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — a jug

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