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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. court — of a king
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — government
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — of law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rule — a law
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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