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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. net — after costs
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — in sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — a thing
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bound — obliged
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — certain
  21. court — of law
  22. suit — to fit
  23. object — an aim
  24. chair — a professorship

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