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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. present — the time now
  3. band — a ring
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — the tool
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. tear — from crying
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — low music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. drill — a practice
  14. game — a match
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — army training
  19. land — to come down
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. band — a music group
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pass — to succeed

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