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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — army training
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — a trail
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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