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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. band — a ring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a list
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. band — a music group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cell — a phone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. club — a group
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. roll — a cake
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. club — for golf

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