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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. season — in sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — of the year
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bass — low music

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