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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ball — a great time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — to bear
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fall — the season
  18. race — a contest
  19. bass — low music
  20. race — humankind
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitcher — a jug

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