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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — low music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. shower — rain
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. net — for catching
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the fish
  22. net — in sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. net — after costs

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