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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ball — a dance
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. band — a music group
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. object — a thing
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. band — a ring
  16. rule — a law
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rule — government
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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