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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bass — the fish
  4. court — of a king
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chair — a leader
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — all right
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. court — for sport
  19. suit — in cards
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. shower — to wash
  23. suit — clothes
  24. hide — to keep secret

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