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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a hat
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bass — low music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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