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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. band — a music group
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bass — low music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. track — a song
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rash — a series

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