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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. club — for golf
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. last — to go on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a music group
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cue — a hint
  20. last — finally
  21. content — happy
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — the amount
  24. last — final

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