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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — low music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rash — a series
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. key — in music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rash — hasty
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chair — a professorship

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