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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. band — a ring
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — a leader
  13. band — a music group
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. arm — a part of something

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