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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. can — to be able to
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — a container
  12. chair — a leader
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. net — for catching
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pop — soda
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. pop — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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