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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.

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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bass — low music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bass — the fish
  21. toast — bread
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. toast — the most admired

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