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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cap — of ice
  5. net — in sport
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. object — to protest
  8. stock — goods
  9. object — an aim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — in music
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. object — a thing
  18. key — for a lock
  19. net — after costs
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — for catching
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — for money

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