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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bass — low music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. degree — temperature
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. degree — an amount

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