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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 116 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. firm — decided
  3. net — in sport
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. chair — a leader
  7. net — for catching
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. race — the arms race
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. race — a contest
  16. firm — steady
  17. race — humankind
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — to push
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bank — for money
  23. press — newspapers
  24. calf — a young animal

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