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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. content — the amount
  3. pop — music
  4. content — happy
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — in sport
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. suit — in cards
  23. net — for catching
  24. bass — low music

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