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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chair — a leader
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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