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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bass — low music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bound — certain
  10. craft — boats
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pop — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. craft — a skill
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — a leader
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stand — to bear
  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