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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a music group
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — to bear
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. capital — money
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. track — a path
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. capital — a city
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — the amount
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. band — a ring

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