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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. chest — a box
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — an amount
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — of a king
  10. band — a ring
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. band — a music group
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — to get on
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — a committee
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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