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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. season — in sport
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. file — a line of people
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bass — the fish
  18. band — a ring
  19. file — a document
  20. band — a music group
  21. bass — low music
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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