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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — in sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pop — to visit
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. craft — boats
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. kid — child
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bass — low music

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