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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. band — a ring
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. plane — in geometry

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