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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bass — the fish
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. degree — an amount
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pass — a permit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. nail — on a finger

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