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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bass — the fish
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. band — a ring
  11. bass — low music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. band — a music group
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bass — the instrument

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