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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chair — a leader
  4. net — for catching
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hand — in cards
  8. net — after costs
  9. suit — in cards
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. suit — clothes
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — a break
  16. board — a committee
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. net — in sport
  22. mate — to breed
  23. board — to get on
  24. hand — help

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