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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. chair — a leader
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. shower — rain
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. board — a committee
  11. shower — to wash
  12. track — a song
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. roll — a list
  17. chip — for betting
  18. track — a path
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — the fish
  22. board — to get on
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chip — to eat

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