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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chair — a leader
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a committee
  18. scale — in music
  19. bass — low music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bank — for money
  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