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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bass — low music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — in music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. branch — a division
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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