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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ground — a position
  4. bass — low music
  5. season — in sport
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — a path
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — crushed
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a lid
  24. track — a song

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