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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — electric
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. net — in sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — for catching
  10. current — happening now
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — of water
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fall — the season
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — in cards

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