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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. board — to get on
  5. deal — to handle
  6. court — for sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. board — a flat piece

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