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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: wind · chair · pit · firm · march · kick · club · fan

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. march — the month
  9. club — a group
  10. chair — a leader
  11. march — music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wind — moving air
  16. firm — a company
  17. kick — in football
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. firm — steady
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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