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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rock — music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. content — happy
  13. bass — low music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bass — the fish

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