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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.

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: firm · net · stick · cabinet · wound · chair · ball · stem

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. net — for catching
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. net — after costs
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — in sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — ministers

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