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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bass — low music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stand — to bear
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cue — a hint

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