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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — low music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. roll — a list
  5. band — a ring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bound — certain
  8. band — a music group
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stock — goods
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stock — shares

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