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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. band — a ring
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitch — completely
  11. capital — money
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. capital — a city
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bass — low music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wake — a trail
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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