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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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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pop — music
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — a company
  11. mark — a grade
  12. firm — steady
  13. pop — to visit
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pop — soda
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. firm — decided
  18. net — for catching

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