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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
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: cold · jam · rock · game · foot · chair · wake · ball

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. game — a match
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rock — music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cold — not warm
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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