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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: club · saw · chair · foot · stick · clip · mouse · root

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. clip — a video
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. club — for golf
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — a group
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. root — the cause
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — of a word
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  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