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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stand — to bear
  6. band — a music group
  7. bass — the fish
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bass — low music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — thin
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. march — the month
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. march — music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stand — for spectators

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