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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. degree — an amount
  8. toast — bread
  9. rock — music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mug — a face
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bass — low music
  15. can — a tin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — to rob
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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