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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. current — of water
  3. game — wild animals
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bass — low music
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — a position
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. game — a match

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