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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. charge — in control
  4. file — a line of people
  5. firm — a company
  6. net — in sport
  7. file — a document
  8. firm — steady
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. charge — electricity
  12. can — to be able to
  13. net — for catching
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — decided
  23. charge — a price
  24. stand — to bear

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