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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bass — low music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. bank — for money
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. scale — in music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. land — ground
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — a country
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. toast — bread
  20. land — to come down
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spell — magic
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a ring

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