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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. band — a music group
  3. firm — decided
  4. roll — a list
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. saw — the tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. squash — to crush
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. game — wild animals
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. roll — a cake
  13. band — a ring
  14. suit — to fit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. suit — clothes
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  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