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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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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. court — of law
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tube — a container
  17. bass — low music
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — the underground
  21. court — for sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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