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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fine — high quality
  4. band — a music group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — all right
  15. deal — to handle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. race — a contest
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. race — humankind
  24. fine — a penalty

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