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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. board — a committee
  12. bass — low music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — to get on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mug — a face
  24. board — a flat piece

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