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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — a line
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — a company
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. firm — decided
  16. bass — low music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. firm — steady
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitch — completely

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