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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mate — a friend
  8. band — a music group
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pound — a weight
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — a break
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. band — a ring
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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