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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. net — for catching
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — a box
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — in sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. game — wild animals
  12. firm — decided
  13. chest — of your body
  14. net — after costs
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. firm — a company
  19. game — a match
  20. staff — a stick
  21. charge — a price
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. staff — employees
  24. prune — to trim

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