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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. net — after costs
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spring — of water
  12. fine — all right
  13. lean — to bend
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — in sport
  16. spring — the season
  17. march — music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — for catching
  21. bass — low music
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — a coil
  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