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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — a list
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stand — to bear

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