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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. object — to protest
  3. band — a music group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. object — a thing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — all right
  19. band — a ring
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. object — an aim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fine — high quality

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