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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bass — the fish
  13. suit — clothes
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. land — to come down
  16. band — a music group
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. band — a ring
  19. bass — low music
  20. land — ground
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stem — to come from
  23. land — a country
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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