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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. object — an aim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. rock — music
  12. spring — of water
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. spring — the season
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bass — low music
  20. object — to protest
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. object — a thing

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