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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. row — a line
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mug — to rob
  14. tube — the underground
  15. row — to paddle
  16. band — a music group
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. mug — a face
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitch — completely

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