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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 120 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 have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — electricity
  10. band — a music group
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. club — a group
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pass — a permit
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — the fish
  17. charge — a price
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. band — a ring
  20. bass — low music
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. prune — to trim

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