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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chip — for betting
  13. swing — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. degree — temperature
  17. swing — to play on
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bass — low music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chip — to eat

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