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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.

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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. can — a tin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. club — a group
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bass — the fish
  9. club — for golf
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cell — in biology
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. club — for dancing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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