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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. drill — a practice
  9. suit — in cards
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. suit — clothes
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. drill — the tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. drill — army training
  18. charge — electricity
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. charge — in control
  22. suit — to fit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — a price

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