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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — ground
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. track — a song
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. land — a country
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. track — a path
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mine — for digging
  21. land — to come down
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wax — for sculpting

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