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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — a company
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — after costs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — a break
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — the underground
  13. firm — steady
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — a container
  22. firm — decided
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. net — for catching

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