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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · land · court · nail · march · bass · track · saw

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stand — to bear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. court — for sport
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. track — to keep track
  11. court — of a king
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. track — a song
  14. bass — low music
  15. march — the month
  16. land — ground
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of law
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. march — music
  23. track — a path
  24. stand — for spectators

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