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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: chair · stick · can · net · pitcher · ball · foot · lash

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — after costs
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. net — for catching
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chair — a leader
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — in sport
  24. ball — a round shape

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