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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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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: present · net · chair · rule · calf · row · pitch · mouse

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. present — the time now
  5. rule — government
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. present — there
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rule — a law
  15. row — a line
  16. net — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — a gift

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