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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rock — a stone
  3. court — of a king
  4. firm — decided
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. kid — to tease
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. band — a ring
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. court — for sport
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. band — a music group
  20. court — of law
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mug — a face
  24. kid — child

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