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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pop — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pop — soda
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. band — a ring
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bound — certain
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — to bear
  20. band — a music group
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stand — on your feet

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