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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. sharp — clever
  5. net — after costs
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. firm — a company
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rock — music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — ground
  20. rock — a stone
  21. net — for catching
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — exactly

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