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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. march — the month
  6. object — a thing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. march — music
  9. row — a line
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. march — the month
  12. object — an aim
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mate — to breed
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mate — a friend
  17. object — to protest
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bass — low music
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — clothes

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