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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kid — child
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. roll — a cake
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. roll — a list
  10. kid — to tease
  11. net — for catching
  12. cue — a hint
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. net — in sport
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wave — of the sea

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