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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. degree — an amount
  9. chair — a leader
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — a series
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. band — a ring
  19. degree — temperature
  20. season — in sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rash — hasty
  23. band — a music group
  24. season — to add flavour

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