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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. court — of a king
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bass — low music
  6. court — for sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. court — of law
  10. rash — a series
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mug — a face
  18. rash — hasty
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bass — the fish

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