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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 116 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pitch — completely
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. band — a ring
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — a match
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a music group
  20. deal — to handle
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. key — the most important part
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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