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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. band — a music group
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fine — high quality
  10. squash — the sport
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fine — all right
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rush — hurry

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