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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. net — in sport
  5. stand — to bear
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. march — music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bass — low music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bass — the fish
  24. march — the month

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