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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rule — government
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bass — the fish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. key — the most important part
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bass — low music

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