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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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Word bank
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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chair — a leader
  3. spell — a short time
  4. game — a match
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spell — magic
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bass — the fish
  13. march — the month
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — a gift
  17. spell — letters
  18. game — wild animals
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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