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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 116 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: file · club · ball · cold · stand · lean · bass · rock

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rock — a stone
  3. club — a group
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. file — a document
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bass — low music
  17. rock — music
  18. cold — not warm
  19. lean — thin
  20. club — for golf
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ball — a dance
  23. file — a tool
  24. ball — a great time

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