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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. net — after costs
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fine — all right
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — for catching
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — in sport
  20. craft — boats
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — shares
  24. chair — a professorship

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