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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — a container
  11. cap — a lid
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cap — a hat
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. band — a ring

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