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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: firm · staff · prune · bass · row · band · rest · dip

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a ring
  7. firm — decided
  8. bass — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — employees
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. staff — a stick
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — a line

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