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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. craft — boats
  3. swing — in golf
  4. object — a thing
  5. cue — a hint
  6. band — a ring
  7. object — to protest
  8. stand — to bear
  9. craft — a skill
  10. swing — music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. object — an aim
  13. band — a music group
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — for pool

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