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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the fish
  8. band — a music group
  9. game — a match
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bass — low music
  14. band — a ring
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. capital — money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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