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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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Word bank
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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: fine · bay · chair · straw · foot · bass · cold · suit

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chair — a leader
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cold — not warm
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fine — all right
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — low music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. foot — a measure

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