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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a partner
  5. content — happy
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pit — a hole
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bank — for money
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bark — to shout
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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