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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 120 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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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 rubber band
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pit — in a race
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. root — of a word
  8. club — for golf
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a ring
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. last — final
  16. board — to get on
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wake — a trail
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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