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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: ball · chair · toast · cue · sharp · bass · present · tear

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bass — low music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cue — for pool
  11. present — the time now
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. toast — bread
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. present — there
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cue — a hint
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. present — a gift

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