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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pop — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pop — soda
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rest — a break
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. band — a music group
  24. mate — to breed

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