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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chair — a leader
  3. court — for sport
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cue — for pool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. court — of law

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