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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. object — a thing
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. degree — from a university
  10. object — an aim
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rule — a law
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bass — low music
  17. craft — boats
  18. rule — government
  19. bass — the fish
  20. degree — an amount
  21. swing — music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. object — to protest
  24. chair — a leader

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