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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. band — a music group
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a ring
  12. club — a group
  13. bass — low music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. suit — to fit
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. suit — clothes
  19. court — of a king
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for dancing
  22. march — music
  23. club — for golf
  24. cabinet — ministers

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