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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 124 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — of a king
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chip — for betting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the fish

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