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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bore — to drill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — in sport
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. branch — a division
  17. bore — to tire
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bore — gave birth

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