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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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 instrument
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bass — low music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cold — not warm
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. can — to be able to
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mug — a face
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pit — a hole
  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