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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cold — not warm
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rock — a stone
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bass — low music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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