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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fine — all right
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bass — low music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mark — a grade
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chair — to sit on

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