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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a partner
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. court — of a king
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rock — music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bass — low music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. court — of law
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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