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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. capital — money
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pass — a permit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. band — a music group
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. band — a ring
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rule — government
  24. key — for a lock

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