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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. firm — steady
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rock — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. firm — decided
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bank — for money
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. firm — a company
  21. bass — low music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. craft — boats
  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