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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fork — in a road
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pop — to visit
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pop — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pop — soda
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. sharp — clever
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fork — to eat with

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