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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rule — government
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bass — low music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rule — a law
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. swing — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. date — the fruit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pit — a hole

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