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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — a price
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. charge — in control
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — in sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — of the year
  18. branch — a division
  19. game — a match
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. band — a ring
  24. snap — to click

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