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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bass — low music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. kick — in football
  10. bass — the fish
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a ring
  15. current — of water
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — electric
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — happening now
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fall — the season

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