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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rest — a break
  3. bass — low music
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. chip — to eat
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. root — of a plant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — of a word
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rule — government
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. root — the cause
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rest — what's left

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