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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. root — of a word
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. file — a document
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — the cause
  19. file — a tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sports field

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