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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — a measure
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. band — a music group
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — a series
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. dip — to sink
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rash — on the skin

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