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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. band — a music group
  4. pop — soda
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. object — to protest
  7. suit — clothes
  8. land — to come down
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — for digging
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bass — low music
  14. band — a ring
  15. object — an aim
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the fish
  21. land — ground
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. land — a country

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