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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. toast — bread
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bass — low music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. chest — a box
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — to tire
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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