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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — a price
  7. ground — the earth
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. charge — in control
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  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