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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. deal — to handle
  13. tube — a container
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. band — a music group
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. band — a ring

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