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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. file — a tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. scale — in music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a trace
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. file — a document
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bass — low music
  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