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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. object — a thing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. band — a ring
  6. season — in sport
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pass — a permit
  12. net — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. net — for catching
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — of the year
  19. net — after costs
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. prune — the fruit

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