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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: firm · rock · kid · season · fine · pitcher · stand · bass

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. kid — child
  7. fine — high quality
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — decided
  12. bass — the fish
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — all right
  16. rock — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — low music
  19. firm — steady
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — in sport
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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