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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
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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: game · foot · chest · suit · deal · date · net · chair

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. net — for catching
  3. date — the fruit
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. net — after costs
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a match
  10. deal — to handle
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — in sport
  17. chest — of your body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. suit — clothes
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. chair — a leader
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chest — a box

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