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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chair — a leader
  3. charge — in control
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bass — low music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — farmland
  14. suit — clothes
  15. net — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — after costs
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chair — a professorship

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