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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. suit — in cards
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. mine — for digging
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. suit — to fit
  12. net — after costs
  13. rock — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. key — the most important part
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. net — in sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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