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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bass — the fish
  8. toast — bread
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. key — for a lock
  17. roll — a list
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. club — a group

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