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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. track — a path
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. suit — clothes
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. suit — to fit
  14. content — happy
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. band — a music group
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bowl — a dish

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