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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: mark · chair · game · stand · chest · bass · ground · mouse

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bass — low music
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — a grade
  12. game — a match
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ground — a position
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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