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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. season — of the year
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a ring
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bark — to shout

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