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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chair — a leader
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fall — the season
  13. pop — soda
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pop — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bass — low music

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