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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. track — to keep track
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mate — a friend
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. file — a tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. track — a song
  16. file — a document
  17. squash — to crush
  18. band — a ring
  19. mate — a partner
  20. track — a path
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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