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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. bass — low music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pound — a weight
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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