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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · chair · perch · bound · suit · racket · last · mate

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mate — a partner
  21. last — final
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — obliged

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