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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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468
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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bat — the animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — to crush
  8. scale — in music
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bass — low music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fine — all right
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — high quality

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