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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bass — low music
  6. capital — a city
  7. rock — music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chest — a box
  14. capital — money
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stand — to bear
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. band — a ring
  24. stand — on your feet

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