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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — in sport
  4. race — a contest
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. net — for catching
  7. band — a ring
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — after costs
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a path
  17. face — to confront
  18. race — humankind
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — the arms race
  21. face — to point toward
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ruler — a monarch

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