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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ball — a great time
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. net — after costs
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. present — there
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. present — the time now
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — a gift
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. net — for catching
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a dance

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