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

Word bank: chair · rule · fork · bass · track · band · pit · rock

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — a song
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rule — government
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rock — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. band — a music group
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bass — low music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a ring
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rule — a law
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rock — to move gently

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