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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — all right
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — low music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fine — high quality
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. leaves — of a tree

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