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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chair — a leader
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chip — for betting
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. net — in sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — after costs
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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