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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. land — a country
  6. bass — low music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — a division
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bass — the fish
  13. drill — the tool
  14. land — ground
  15. stand — to bear
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — to come down
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — a practice
  24. deal — an agreement

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