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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: fan · net · bass · cap · lie · staff · fine · stand

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — in sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cap — of ice

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