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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. charge — a price
  4. snap — to click
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bass — low music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — the fish
  13. band — a ring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — a partner
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rash — a series
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. charge — in control
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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