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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — to come down
  3. tube — a container
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bass — the fish
  10. branch — a division
  11. stand — to bear
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — a permit
  16. land — a country
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. land — ground
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. coach — a trainer

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