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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. land — to come down
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — the fish
  11. land — ground
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — low music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rock — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — letters
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. land — a country
  24. bass — the instrument

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