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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — the arms race
  5. content — the amount
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. race — a contest
  8. branch — a division
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. board — a committee
  11. content — happy
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bat — the animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. band — a ring
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — humankind
  20. band — a music group
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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