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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: mine · firm · chair · net · club · squash · suit · drill

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. drill — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. suit — clothes
  6. club — for golf
  7. net — after costs
  8. mine — for digging
  9. firm — decided
  10. drill — a practice
  11. net — for catching
  12. club — for dancing
  13. net — in sport
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — to fit
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. squash — the sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. club — a group

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