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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · bay · bass · arm · chest · bowl · press · club

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chair — a leader
  5. press — to push
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. club — a group
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chest — a box
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. club — for golf
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bass — low 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