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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hand — in cards
  13. capital — a city
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. capital — money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lie — to recline

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