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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · bass · fan · cell · pitcher · mug · fine · stand

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — boats
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — low music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mug — a face
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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