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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.

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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: stand · stick · face · bass · track · spring · fine · bore

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. track — a song
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fine — all right
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spring — the season
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — of water
  12. bass — low music
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spring — a coil
  15. track — a path
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bore — to drill
  18. face — to confront
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — part of the head

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