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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pop — soda
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — to visit
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rash — a series
  17. pop — music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. suit — clothes
  23. current — of water
  24. chair — to sit on

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