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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
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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: sharp · perch · kid · root · bass · rush · chair · jam

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. root — the cause
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bass — the fish
  10. sharp — clever
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — low music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — of a word
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. perch — for a bird

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