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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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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. object — to protest
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. swing — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — low music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. chair — a leader

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