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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. swing — music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bass — the fish
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rest — a break
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bass — low music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — the fish
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. swing — to play 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