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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: season · cue · net · lean · tube · chair · pound · object

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. net — after costs
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. object — a thing
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. object — an aim
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — a container
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. chair — a leader
  18. tube — the underground
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pound — a weight

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