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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. track — a song
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. spring — of water
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bass — low music
  18. track — a path
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mark — a grade
  24. band — a rubber band

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