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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lean — thin
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ball — a dance
  7. object — to protest
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pass — a permit
  13. net — after costs
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — a company
  21. ball — a great time
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — for catching

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