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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. band — a ring
  4. bass — low music
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the fish
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. firm — steady
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. bat — for baseball

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