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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. staff — employees
  4. prune — to trim
  5. staff — a stick
  6. band — a music group
  7. bass — the fish
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ball — a great time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ball — a dance
  15. band — a ring
  16. staff — employees
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — in sport
  24. prune — to trim

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