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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bass — the fish
  9. roll — a list
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. club — a group
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. roll — a cake
  14. club — for dancing
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. club — for golf
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. staff — employees
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bass — low music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. date — the fruit

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