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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. swing — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cue — for pool
  10. court — for sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. court — of a king
  15. degree — an amount
  16. court — of law
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. degree — from a university
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. swing — in golf
  24. band — a music group

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