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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.

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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rash — a series
  3. firm — steady
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. firm — a company
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. chair — a leader
  13. key — for a lock
  14. firm — decided
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. key — the most important part
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. key — in music

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