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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — a law
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bear — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cell — in biology
  16. band — a ring
  17. degree — from a university
  18. vault — a safe
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cell — a phone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. degree — temperature

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