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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: game · rock · kick · object · present · wave · bass · chair

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kick — in football
  3. present — there
  4. object — a thing
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. present — a gift
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. object — an aim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bass — low music
  17. object — to protest
  18. game — a match
  19. present — the time now
  20. rock — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bass — the fish

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