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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. net — for catching
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bass — low music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. land — a country
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. suit — in cards
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. net — in sport
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. land — ground
  23. toast — bread
  24. suit — clothes

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