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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — to be able to
  4. root — of a word
  5. board — to get on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. land — a country
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. net — after costs
  10. cue — for pool
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cue — a signal
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. land — ground
  17. root — the cause
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chair — a leader
  20. board — a committee
  21. cue — a hint
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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