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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rock — music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. band — a music group
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. drill — army training
  11. track — a path
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a ring
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — a stone
  19. key — for a lock
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bass — low music
  22. rest — a break
  23. bass — the fish
  24. track — a song

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