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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stock — goods
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. band — a ring

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