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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — to eat
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. sharp — clever
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chair — a leader
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bass — the fish
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. foot — part of the body

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