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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rock — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — the fish
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rock — a stone
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bore — to tire
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. band — a music group
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bass — low music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. deal — to handle

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