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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rash — hasty
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bass — the fish
  24. dip — to dunk

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