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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. land — to come down
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. land — a country
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chair — a leader
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. land — ground
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bass — low music

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