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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. cap — of ice
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bass — the fish
  12. track — a song
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cap — a lid
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bass — low music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. scale — size or range
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a music group
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bass — the instrument

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