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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: bass · chair · bore · leaves · dip · foot · rock · net

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bore — to tire
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bore — to drill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — low music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. net — in sport

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