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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. row — a line
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. row — to paddle
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. arm — a part of something

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