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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — the fish
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. object — a thing
  10. bass — low music
  11. object — an aim
  12. tube — a container
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. season — in sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. season — of the year
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. object — to protest
  22. kick — in football
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — with a leg

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