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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
468
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: craft · fork · spell · band · bass · fine · bat · rest

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. band — a ring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rest — a break
  12. band — a music group
  13. bat — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bass — low music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spell — letters
  21. craft — a skill
  22. spell — magic
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fine — high quality

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