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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. key — in music
  5. net — after costs
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chest — a box
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. net — in sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bass — low music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — the most important part
  23. net — for catching
  24. chair — to sit on

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