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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: season · bass · ruler · rule · pitcher · chest · hide · stand

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. chest — a box
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. season — of the year
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chest — of your body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — low music
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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