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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a face
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. mark — a trace
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mug — to rob
  23. march — music
  24. mark — a grade

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