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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. object — to protest
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. charge — a price
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — rain
  9. fine — all right
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a ring
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ball — a dance
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fine — high quality
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. charge — in control
  23. band — a music group
  24. dip — to sink

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