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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a music group
  3. file — a line of people
  4. court — for sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. court — of law
  8. firm — a company
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. band — a ring
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. court — of a king
  13. rock — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — low music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fine — all right
  19. firm — steady
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a document
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rock — a stone
  24. file — a tool

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