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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. court — for sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. net — after costs
  11. track — a path
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — for catching
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. track — a song
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — in sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. court — of a king
  23. bass — low music
  24. court — of law

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