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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. present — the time now
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — a permit
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stock — shares
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stock — goods
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. present — there
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. land — to come down
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. present — a gift
  23. land — ground
  24. stock — a soup base

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