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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hand — help
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. can — a tin
  9. band — a ring
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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