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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: temple · suit · firm · file · bass · ball · prune · band

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bass — the fish
  3. firm — a company
  4. suit — in cards
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. suit — clothes
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bass — low music
  14. file — a line of people
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. band — a music group
  18. ball — a great time
  19. firm — decided
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — to trim
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. file — a document

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