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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — a company
  4. charge — electricity
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bass — low music
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bass — the fish
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rash — a series
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — a price
  19. firm — steady
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — decided
  23. suit — to fit
  24. capital — a city

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