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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. root — the cause
  5. stem — to come from
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chair — a leader
  9. march — the month
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. march — music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mug — a face
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — the fish

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