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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: sharp · pit · kick · net · bound · chair · stock · present

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. kick — in football
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. present — there
  5. pit — in a race
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — tied together
  8. net — for catching
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — certain
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stock — goods
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bound — obliged
  17. net — in sport
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — the time now

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