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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — low music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitch — completely
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — size or range
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stand — to bear
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. court — for sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitch — a sports field

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