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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. branch — a division
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — a price
  6. ground — a position
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — the earth
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. band — a music group
  24. bass — low music

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