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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. rule — a law
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. band — a music group
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rule — government
  24. can — to be able to

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