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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. last — final
  9. content — the amount
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. last — finally
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bass — low music
  19. stand — to bear
  20. content — happy
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — to go on
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stand — for spectators

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