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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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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — a leader
  4. net — in sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. charge — a price
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. can — to be able to
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bass — low music
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. net — after costs
  21. charge — in control
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. net — for catching
  24. racket — for tennis

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