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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. firm — a company
  3. bat — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cold — not warm
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. firm — decided
  19. bass — low music
  20. ground — a position
  21. firm — steady
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stand — to bear

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