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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bass — low music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — in music
  13. firm — decided
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. season — in sport
  23. net — in sport
  24. key — for a lock

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