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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — low music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — to visit

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