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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bass — low music
  6. band — a ring
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. root — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. root — of a word
  14. squash — to crush
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rest — a break
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. root — the cause

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