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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bass — low music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spring — of water
  17. ball — a great time
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ruler — a monarch

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