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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. scale — in music
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stand — to bear
  11. scale — size or range
  12. deal — to handle
  13. firm — a company
  14. bass — low music
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pass — a permit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. firm — steady
  23. pit — in a race
  24. firm — decided

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