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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. band — a ring
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. court — of law
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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