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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bass — low music
  8. scale — in music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rock — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rock — a stone
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rush — to hurry

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