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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. bass — low music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. clip — a video
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — to visit
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pop — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stand — to bear
  15. band — a ring
  16. pop — soda
  17. bass — the fish
  18. band — a music group
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cell — in biology

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