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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · chair · pitch · net · nail · bound · bear · cell

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. roll — a list
  11. bound — certain
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. cell — in biology
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cell — a phone
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chair — a leader

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