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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a music group
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. season — in sport

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