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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. scale — in music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — size or range
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. mine — for digging
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. court — of a king

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