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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: chair · craft · jam · rule · straw · bass · bowl · mate

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chair — a leader
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bass — the fish
  20. craft — boats
  21. rule — a law
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rule — government
  24. bass — low music

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