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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — low music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. firm — decided
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. firm — steady
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. firm — a company
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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