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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bass — low music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — the arms race
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. race — a contest
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — humankind
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. calf — a young animal

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