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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: toast · ball · stand · present · calf · last · staff · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. last — final
  5. stand — to bear
  6. last — to go on
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — the time now
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a dance
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — there
  18. staff — employees
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. staff — a stick
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — finally
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. toast — bread

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