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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — in sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — of ice
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cap — a hat
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a professorship

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