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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. band — a ring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. scale — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a signal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cue — for pool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mug — to rob
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. fork — in a road
  22. scale — size or range
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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