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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — the month
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — in cards
  9. current — of water
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bass — low music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bass — the fish
  18. row — a line
  19. march — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. current — electric

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