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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pit — in a race
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — a short time
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. band — a ring
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a music group
  14. pop — soda
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — a hole
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spell — letters

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