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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — to handle
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — ground
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. land — a country
  11. band — a ring
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. land — to come down
  17. date — the fruit
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rock — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. clip — a video
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pop — music
  24. bore — to tire

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