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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. net — for catching
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. charge — a price
  8. net — after costs
  9. charge — in control
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — a contest
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rest — a break
  19. race — humankind
  20. clip — a video
  21. net — in sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. race — the arms race

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