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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. spring — of water
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spring — the season
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mug — a face
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — to bear
  15. band — a music group
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. deal — an agreement

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