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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. kid — child
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bass — low music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stock — shares
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for golf
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — a leader
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. club — a group
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rash — hasty

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