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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — ground
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — to bear
  10. game — wild animals
  11. land — a country
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — to come down
  14. band — a ring
  15. pop — to visit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a match
  22. pop — soda
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. game — a kind of play

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