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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fine — high quality
  5. file — a tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. bound — certain
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lean — thin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bass — low music
  23. file — a document
  24. court — for sport

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