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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mine — for digging
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bass — low music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ground — a position
  18. swing — music
  19. capital — a city
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stand — to bear
  24. swing — in golf

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