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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. board — a committee
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tear — from crying
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. band — a ring
  14. cap — a lid
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. swing — to play on
  17. season — of the year
  18. swing — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. season — in sport
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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