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

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. net — after costs
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — to be able to
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. roll — a cake
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. track — a song
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. roll — a list
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chair — to sit on

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