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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · content · rash · bay · calf · chair · march · present

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. content — happy
  8. rash — a series
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. present — there
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. content — the amount
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. march — music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chair — a leader

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