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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — for catching
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ball — a dance
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. firm — a company

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