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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bass — the instrument

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