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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — in music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mug — a face
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. object — a thing
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. court — for sport
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mug — a cup
  24. court — of a king

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