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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bass — low music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — of ice
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bass — the fish
  18. foot — part of the body

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