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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: fan · bass · stand · prune · spring · ball · bay · march

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — low music
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the fish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — of water
  18. march — music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spring — the season
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. ball — a dance

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