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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. band — a music group
  3. degree — an amount
  4. band — a ring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. degree — from a university
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. suit — in cards
  14. firm — steady
  15. mate — a friend
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — to breed
  18. degree — temperature
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. suit — clothes

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