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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. clip — for paper
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. clip — a video
  6. bass — the fish
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pound — a weight
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — low music
  15. band — a ring
  16. suit — to fit
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. suit — clothes
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. suit — in cards

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