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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. cap — a hat
  3. firm — a company
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. stand — to bear
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to click
  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