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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 120 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rule — government
  3. bound — tied together
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. firm — decided
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a music group
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rule — a law
  13. firm — a company
  14. bound — obliged
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bound — certain
  18. firm — steady
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kick — in football
  24. swing — music

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