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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chest — a box
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — a leader
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bass — the fish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bass — low music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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