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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — of a king
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lean — thin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. court — for sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. court — of law
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bass — low music
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — all right
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fine — high quality

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