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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cold — not warm
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a music group
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — in sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fine — all right
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. season — of the year
  23. net — after costs
  24. band — a rubber band

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