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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spring — a coil
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fall — the season
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bass — low music
  17. row — a line
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spring — the season
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — of water
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. saw — the tool

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