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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cap — of ice
  3. court — of a king
  4. rock — music
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. court — of law
  10. season — of the year
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cap — a hat
  13. track — a path
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. court — for sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rock — a stone
  19. track — a song
  20. bass — the fish
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kid — child
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — a lid

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