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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: suit · lean · pit · date · nail · foot · chair · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. suit — clothes
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lean — thin
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. suit — in cards
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. suit — to fit
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bass — low music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chair — to sit on

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