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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bass — low music
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chip — for betting
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. board — a committee
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — to get on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — finally
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. toast — bread
  18. last — to go on
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. degree — an amount
  22. last — final
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chair — to sit on

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