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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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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — a match
  7. rock — music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bass — low music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stand — to bear
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chest — a box
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. coach — a trainer

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