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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. band — a ring
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — for sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. court — of a king
  9. board — to get on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — of law
  12. rest — a break
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — a hat
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cap — a lid
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cap — of ice

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