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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: bore · dip · cue · stand · fan · land · trunk · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cue — a signal
  4. land — to come down
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cue — a hint
  8. land — ground
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. land — a country
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bore — to drill
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bass — low music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — to tire
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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