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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mark — a trace
  10. dip — to sink
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bass — low music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. band — a ring
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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