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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. march — the month
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rock — a stone
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — in sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. staff — employees
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — after costs
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — a stick
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. staff — employees
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. net — for catching
  22. rock — music
  23. march — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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