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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — in music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — size or range
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. craft — a skill
  14. band — a ring
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. object — a thing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pass — to spend time

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