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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.

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: trunk · mine · chair · suit · pound · bass · bat · object

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. object — an aim
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chair — a leader
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mine — for digging

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