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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. court — for sport
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. court — of law
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bass — low music
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. march — music
  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