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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mug — to rob
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pop — music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mug — a cup
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — of law
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mug — a face
  18. pop — soda
  19. court — for sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a ring
  22. charge — in control
  23. date — the fruit
  24. squash — the sport

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