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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wake — a trail
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. bass — low music
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stand — for spectators

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