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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. net — after costs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. march — the month
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. net — for catching
  9. march — music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — completely
  13. season — in sport
  14. row — a line
  15. season — of the year
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. net — in sport
  20. chair — a leader
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chair — to sit on

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