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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 120 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: firm · net · season · stick · cabinet · bay · chair · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. net — in sport
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. key — for a lock
  9. firm — steady
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — a company
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — after costs
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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