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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — low music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. land — to come down
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. land — a country
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hand — in cards
  20. land — ground
  21. hand — help
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stand — for spectators

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