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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — help
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a leader
  20. firm — decided
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. bass — the instrument

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