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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mug — a face
  3. club — a group
  4. craft — a skill
  5. band — a music group
  6. club — for golf
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. craft — boats
  15. club — for dancing
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bass — low music
  18. scale — in music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mug — a cup
  24. craft — a handicraft

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