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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. current — happening now
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mark — a trace
  16. current — electric
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. plane — a tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mark — a grade

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