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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. club — a group
  7. rash — a series
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bass — low music
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. club — for golf
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pit — a hole
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fine — high quality

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