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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — a weight
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cap — a lid
  24. calf — of the leg

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