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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — an aim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. object — to protest
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. game — a match
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bass — the fish
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — low music
  24. bowl — a dish

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