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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bass — low music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. band — a music group
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cap — of ice
  17. press — newspapers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. kid — to tease
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a ring
  24. game — a match

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