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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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 — low music
  2. land — to come down
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rest — a break
  5. object — an aim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a ring
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. band — a music group
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. object — a thing
  17. land — a country
  18. board — to get on
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. land — ground
  21. season — in sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — to protest
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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