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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chair — a leader
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bass — low music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. spell — letters
  19. land — ground
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spell — magic
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chair — a professorship

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