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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. band — a ring
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. object — to protest
  11. bass — low music
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. pass — a permit
  24. band — a music group

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