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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cue — a signal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cap — of ice
  10. scale — in music
  11. file — a tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — a hint
  17. file — a document
  18. band — a ring
  19. track — a song
  20. present — a gift
  21. cap — a hat
  22. file — a line of people
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — all right

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