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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ground — a position
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ground — the earth
  16. clip — a video
  17. band — a music group
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a ring
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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