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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a great time
  6. band — a music group
  7. track — a song
  8. firm — steady
  9. bass — low music
  10. firm — a company
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. track — a path
  13. fine — all right
  14. track — to keep track
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bass — the fish
  17. firm — decided
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a dance

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