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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rock — a stone
  3. band — a music group
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. charge — in control
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a ring
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bass — low music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mine — for digging
  24. foot — part of the body

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