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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bass — low music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mug — a cup
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. root — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mug — a face
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a match
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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