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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pop — soda
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — of ice
  8. band — a music group
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cap — a lid
  15. present — the time now
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cue — a signal
  18. swing — music
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. swing — in golf
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a rubber band

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