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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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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: land · cell · calf · ball · bass · cabinet · fine · band

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. land — ground
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cell — a phone

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