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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. scale — in music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — music
  9. net — after costs
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. face — to point toward
  16. net — for catching
  17. face — to confront
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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