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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: rash · last · pass · foot · stand · racket · cell · bass

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. last — finally
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cell — in biology
  10. foot — a measure
  11. last — to go on
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bass — the fish
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — low music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. last — final
  24. rash — a series

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