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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: bass · bear · sharp · stand · band · land · cap · object

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bass — low music
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — to come down
  6. band — a ring
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. object — to protest
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — a country
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cap — of ice
  20. band — a music group
  21. land — ground
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — to bear

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