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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. file — a document
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — from a university
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bass — low music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. craft — boats
  15. band — a music group
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bass — the fish
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. file — a tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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