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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. band — a music group
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spring — a coil
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cue — for pool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. band — a ring
  16. stock — shares
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spring — the season
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spring — of water
  24. suit — in cards

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