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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — an aim
  9. band — a music group
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. band — a ring
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mate — a friend
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. march — the month
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — the fish
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. march — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. object — to protest
  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