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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. prune — to trim
  3. march — music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a music group
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. band — a ring
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. foot — a measure
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mark — a trace

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