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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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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: cap · cabinet · ground · band · rest · mouse · wound · bass

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — the earth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — low music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ground — a position
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ground — crushed

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