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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. net — for catching
  7. tube — a container
  8. net — after costs
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — happening now
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. current — electric
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. current — of water
  22. band — a music group
  23. net — in sport
  24. bear — to put up with

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