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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — to wash
  3. board — a committee
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — finally
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. last — final
  9. fine — all right
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. last — to go on
  12. shower — rain
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stand — to bear
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. board — to get on
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bass — low music

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