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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — ground
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. land — a country
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bass — low music

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