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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stand — to bear
  5. firm — steady
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. scale — size or range
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spell — letters
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. scale — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — in a road

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