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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. suit — clothes
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pop — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — a committee
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — soda
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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