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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. court — of law
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. court — of a king
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bat — the animal

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