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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: foot · cell · toast · bay · fan · bass · stand · coach

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cell — in biology
  6. toast — bread
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bass — low music
  24. cell — a phone

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