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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. object — a thing
  4. craft — boats
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bat — the animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. object — to protest
  16. chair — a leader
  17. snap — to click
  18. bass — the fish
  19. craft — a skill
  20. object — an aim
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. craft — a handicraft

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