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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — there
  9. stand — to bear
  10. present — the time now
  11. cue — a hint
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — for pool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. kid — child
  21. chair — a leader
  22. present — a gift
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bass — the fish

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