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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bass — the fish
  3. row — a line
  4. bass — low music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. plane — a tool
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. present — a gift
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. present — the time now
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — there
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. staff — a stick

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