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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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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: present · can · bass · wave · date · nail · saw · chair

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — the fruit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — the time now
  8. chair — a leader
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. present — there
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bass — the fish
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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