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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fall — the season
  3. bass — the fish
  4. track — a path
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — a law
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a song
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rock — music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bank — for money
  22. bass — low music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. track — to keep track

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