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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — a division
  7. game — a match
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pop — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. band — a music group
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a ring
  19. season — in sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — wild animals
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. safe — out of danger

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