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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bass — low music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pop — soda
  10. track — a song
  11. present — there
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. track — to keep track
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stem — to come from
  18. track — a path
  19. band — a music group
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. band — a ring
  22. present — a gift
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mouse — the animal

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