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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. band — a ring
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. march — music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. band — a music group
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cue — a hint

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