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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chair — a leader
  3. kick — in football
  4. squash — the sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. squash — to crush
  23. net — for catching
  24. staff — employees

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