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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. dip — to sink
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. suit — clothes
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bank — of a river
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. march — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. march — the month
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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