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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. band — a music group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. land — a country
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. land — ground
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — low music
  22. track — a path
  23. band — a ring
  24. fan — a supporter

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