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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chair — a leader
  3. spring — the season
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rash — a series
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spring — a coil
  11. firm — a company
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. firm — steady
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spring — of water
  19. drill — army training
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. firm — decided
  22. bass — low music
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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