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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a trace
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — of water
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spell — a short time
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spell — letters

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