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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 120 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — the most important part
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. key — in music
  19. band — a music group
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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