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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — all right
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — low music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. club — a group
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — a weight

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