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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a dance
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fine — high quality
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pop — music
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — to visit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fine — all right

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