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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 120 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: rock · row · cap · bass · bat · file · rash · stand

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. file — a tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cap — of ice
  6. file — a document
  7. rash — a series
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. row — to paddle
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. row — a line
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bass — low music

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