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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: band · key · craft · bat · deal · mark · date · bass

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. craft — boats
  5. mark — a grade
  6. key — the most important part
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bat — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a music group
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a ring

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