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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. rock — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chair — a leader
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rock — a stone
  19. charge — a price
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. net — in sport
  22. pound — a weight
  23. charge — in control
  24. chair — a professorship

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