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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bass — low music
  5. band — a music group
  6. pop — to visit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bound — obliged
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. band — a ring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — certain
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pop — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stock — goods
  18. suit — in cards
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — shares
  21. pop — soda
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bass — the instrument

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