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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bound — obliged
  4. face — part of the head
  5. field — farmland
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. field — for sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a dance
  12. swing — to play on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — in golf
  15. field — a subject
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — to confront
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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