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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: suit · bowl · staff · bat · bound · squash · chair · fan

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bat — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — certain
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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