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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spring — the season
  6. rock — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. track — a path
  11. spring — of water
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bass — the fish
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. swing — music
  22. track — a song
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spring — a coil

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