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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rash — a series
  3. firm — decided
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — to handle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. drill — army training
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rash — hasty
  17. firm — a company
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — goods

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