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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. race — a contest
  6. degree — from a university
  7. roll — a list
  8. degree — an amount
  9. suit — clothes
  10. band — a ring
  11. degree — temperature
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. suit — in cards
  15. race — humankind
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. firm — steady
  20. pit — in a race
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. roll — on a roll

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