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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mug — a face
  6. current — of water
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. chair — a leader
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mug — to rob
  14. clip — to cut
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. clip — a video
  21. bass — low music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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