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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. net — for catching
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. chair — a leader
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. net — after costs
  8. club — for dancing
  9. last — to go on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — in sport
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — to recline
  14. club — for golf
  15. roll — a list
  16. bound — certain
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bound — obliged
  24. last — final

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