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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rock — a stone
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. can — a tin
  7. hand — help
  8. pop — to visit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rock — music
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pop — soda
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pop — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chair — a leader
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. content — happy
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. content — the amount

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