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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. spell — magic
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a ring
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — a partner
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. court — for sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — the tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. band — a music group
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a friend

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