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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chair — a leader
  3. firm — steady
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rash — a series
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. roll — a list
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. firm — a company
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — to get on
  19. bass — low music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chair — to sit on

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