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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. band — a ring
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. scale — in music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — a series
  20. rest — a break
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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