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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cell · fine · season · stand · last · bass · bear · row

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — to go on
  3. bass — low music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. last — final
  7. row — a line
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fine — all right
  14. bass — the fish
  15. last — finally
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. season — in sport
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. season — of the year
  24. stand — on your feet

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