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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. band — a ring
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — a law
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a face
  9. spring — a coil
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spring — the season
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — government
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spring — of water
  22. mug — a cup
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a music group

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