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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. court — of law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. band — a music group
  10. court — for sport
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. race — a contest
  17. track — a path
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. race — the arms race

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