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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: row · pop · suit · rest · chair · squash · key · bass

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. row — to paddle
  3. key — in music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bass — the fish
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — for a lock
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — soda
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — music
  15. bass — low music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. row — a line
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. chair — a leader

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