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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 116 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. race — humankind
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bulb — for light
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kid — child
  17. band — a ring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pound — a weight
  20. kid — to tease
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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