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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bass — the fish
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. swing — music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stand — to bear
  21. board — to get on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fork — to eat with

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