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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ball — a dance
  6. march — music
  7. bass — low music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. band — a ring
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. march — the month
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. squash — the vegetable

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