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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — in music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mate — a partner
  8. capital — money
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mug — a face
  17. scale — size or range
  18. band — a ring
  19. capital — a city
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. band — a music group
  24. mate — a friend

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