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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. net — for catching
  11. mine — for digging
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. craft — boats
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. craft — a handicraft

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