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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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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: court · cap · key · spell · rock · game · bass · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cap — a hat
  6. court — of law
  7. bass — low music
  8. key — in music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rock — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — of ice
  16. game — a match
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. court — of a king
  19. band — a ring
  20. court — for sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spell — magic
  23. game — wild animals
  24. spell — letters

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