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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pop — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — low music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stock — goods
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fine — all right
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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