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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rock — music
  11. row — a line
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. craft — boats
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chair — a leader
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pass — a permit

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