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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — low music
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rush — hurry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. tube — a container
  22. swing — music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ruler — a monarch

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