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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: craft · jam · suit · bass · content · date · chair · roll

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — in cards
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. roll — a cake
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. content — happy
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. roll — a list
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. craft — boats
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. suit — to fit
  22. craft — a skill
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — on a roll

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