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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · chair · fan · kick · clip · net · mate · bay

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. clip — a video
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mate — a friend
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mate — a partner
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chair — a leader
  23. net — after costs
  24. chair — to sit on

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