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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pop — soda
  11. chest — a box
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pop — music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — to visit

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