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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. club — for dancing
  6. object — an aim
  7. chair — a leader
  8. object — a thing
  9. net — for catching
  10. club — a group
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. game — a match
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. game — wild animals
  19. club — for golf
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cold — not warm

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