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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — in music
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — the season

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