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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pop — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pop — to visit
  7. present — a gift
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — low music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. present — the time now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. present — there
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bass — the fish

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