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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fall — to drop
  8. content — the amount
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — the season
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — in sport
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — magic
  16. ball — a great time
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. net — for catching
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — happy
  22. net — after costs
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. content — videos and posts

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