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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — for pool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. clip — a video
  5. cue — a hint
  6. band — a ring
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. clip — for paper

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