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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. band — a ring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a music group
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rock — music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chair — a professorship

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