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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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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: fork · dip · chair · object · bass · deal · cap · bear

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cap — a lid
  8. object — an aim
  9. bass — low music
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. object — a thing
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. object — to protest
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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