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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. suit — in cards
  5. craft — boats
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wake — a trail
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. staff — employees
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bass — low music
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rock — a stone

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