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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. firm — steady
  5. file — a document
  6. content — the amount
  7. file — a line of people
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. file — a tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. firm — a company
  20. band — a ring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. firm — decided
  24. content — happy

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