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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. net — in sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ground — the earth
  20. club — a group
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. game — a match
  23. net — for catching
  24. suit — clothes

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