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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fall — the season
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bass — the fish
  12. present — the time now
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. foot — a measure
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. coach — a trainer

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