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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cold — not warm
  4. object — to protest
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bass — low music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. swing — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. cold — the Cold War

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