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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — after costs
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. present — there
  7. board — a committee
  8. current — happening now
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. current — of water
  11. board — to get on
  12. net — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — electric
  17. present — the time now
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. present — a gift
  20. net — for catching
  21. face — to confront
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. face — to point toward

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