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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. net — in sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. last — final
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. last — to go on
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — hasty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. deal — to handle
  16. net — after costs
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — finally
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — a series
  22. can — to be able to
  23. band — a ring
  24. bowl — a dish

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