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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. band — a ring
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cap — of ice
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cap — a hat
  15. degree — from a university
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — to grow
  18. net — for catching
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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