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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — in sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — after costs
  10. object — an aim
  11. net — for catching
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pop — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. suit — in cards
  18. object — to protest
  19. suit — to fit
  20. present — there
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pop — soda
  24. present — the time now

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