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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bass — low music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. current — of water
  5. suit — in cards
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. suit — clothes
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — happening now
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. hand — in cards
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. current — electric
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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