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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — a stone
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. swing — in golf
  9. band — a music group
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. swing — music
  13. band — a ring
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mine — for digging
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mouse — the animal

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