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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rest — a break
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — to handle
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bass — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mark — a grade
  21. present — the time now
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — in music
  24. present — a gift

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