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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. squash — the sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — of a river
  13. clip — a video
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — low music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. clip — for paper

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