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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. band — a music group
  5. land — a country
  6. band — a ring
  7. bass — low music
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bass — the fish
  16. net — for catching
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — the instrument

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