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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pit — a hole
  15. track — a path
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — a weight
  19. track — a song
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bass — low music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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