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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. club — for golf
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fall — the season
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — to trim
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rock — a stone
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rock — music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. band — a ring

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