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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. net — in sport
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. net — after costs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. fall — the season
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bass — the fish

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