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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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. court — of law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — of a king
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. band — a music group
  21. rock — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. band — a ring

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