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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bass — low music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. foot — a measure
  10. object — a thing
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. object — an aim
  20. spring — the season
  21. object — to protest
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — of water

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