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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. land — to come down
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. present — a gift
  14. bass — the fish
  15. land — a country
  16. present — there
  17. bass — low music
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. present — the time now
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — in music

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