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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cap — a lid
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. land — to come down
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — to push
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. land — ground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. suit — to fit
  21. land — a country
  22. cap — a hat
  23. suit — in cards
  24. press — newspapers

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