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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: present · pound · race · trunk · mouse · chair · leaves · suit

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. present — the time now
  8. race — humankind
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. present — a gift
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. race — a contest
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. suit — to fit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pound — a weight
  24. present — there

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