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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rock — music
  5. row — a line
  6. board — to get on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. board — a committee
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bass — low music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. row — to paddle
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rock — a stone
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bass — the fish
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stand — to bear

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