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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 124 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — a company
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. firm — decided
  19. band — a ring
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. firm — steady
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wax — in the ear

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