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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — a measure
  10. band — a music group
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. bass — the fish
  14. squash — the sport
  15. band — a ring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chest — a box
  22. mark — a trace
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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