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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — a face
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mug — a cup
  14. perch — the fish
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bass — low music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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