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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bass — the fish
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. swing — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. swing — in golf
  11. band — a ring
  12. spell — letters
  13. tube — a container
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a music group
  18. swing — to play on
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. deal — to handle
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. tube — the underground

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