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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. staff — employees
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. firm — steady
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. net — in sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. net — after costs
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. firm — a company
  19. net — for catching
  20. staff — employees
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. firm — decided
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chair — a leader

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