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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. band — a music group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chest — a box
  10. bound — certain
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — a series
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. suit — clothes
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitch — completely
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chest — of your body

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