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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mug — to rob
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chair — a leader
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mug — a face
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — a country
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. band — a music group
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. land — to come down
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mark — to pay attention

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