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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · pop · kick · mark · bass · band · object · last

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a ring
  6. last — to go on
  7. court — for sport
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — in football
  12. last — finally
  13. band — a music group
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — low music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. object — a thing
  19. pop — music
  20. court — of a king
  21. object — an aim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. last — final

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