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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. craft — boats
  3. band — a music group
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pop — soda
  9. pitch — completely
  10. land — to come down
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. band — a ring
  13. fine — all right
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pop — music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. land — ground
  24. craft — a skill

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