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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bass — low music
  4. track — a path
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chair — a leader
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — of ice
  17. track — a song
  18. dip — to sink
  19. squash — to crush
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rest — a break
  22. bass — the fish
  23. track — to keep track
  24. dip — a sauce

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