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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. net — for catching
  4. key — in music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lean — thin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. track — a song
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. track — a path
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. net — after costs
  20. bear — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bear — to put up with

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