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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bat — the animal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stand — to bear
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stock — shares
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — goods
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — low music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. object — a thing
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitcher — a jug

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