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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — the tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. scale — in music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ball — a dance
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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