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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rest — a break
  6. band — a music group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitcher — a jug

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