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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. object — to protest
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — in music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bass — low music
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. object — a thing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. object — an aim
  23. scale — for weighing
  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