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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. firm — a company
  4. band — a ring
  5. firm — decided
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — a hat
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — a lid
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. firm — steady
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rule — government
  22. charge — in control
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. racket — for tennis

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