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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. suit — clothes
  7. band — a music group
  8. mug — to rob
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mug — a cup
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — ground
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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