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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ground — a position
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — in sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. can — a tin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ground — crushed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ground — the earth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wound — an injury

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