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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. bass — low music
  16. board — to get on
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chair — a leader
  19. degree — temperature
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. can — to be able to

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