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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chair — a leader
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — a hole
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — a break
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. dip — to sink

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