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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
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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: bat · craft · spell · firm · tube · bass · mark · fan

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tube — a container
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — the underground
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. firm — decided
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. craft — boats
  24. spell — letters

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