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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: wake · foot · mug · chair · swing · bass · game · fan

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mug — a face
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. foot — a measure
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — low music
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. game — wild animals
  23. swing — music
  24. bass — the instrument

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