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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 quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. band — a ring
  3. firm — decided
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. track — a song
  6. band — a music group
  7. firm — a company
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. scale — in music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bat — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bowl — to roll

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