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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.

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 · track · stick · rest · pitcher · wave · chair · sharp

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — low music
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — a song
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. sharp — clever
  19. track — a path
  20. rest — a break
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rest — what's left

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