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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. object — an aim
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a ring
  9. object — to protest
  10. land — to come down
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to tire
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — a country
  22. rest — a break
  23. object — a thing
  24. bore — to drill

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