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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of law
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hand — help
  16. court — of a king
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. band — a ring
  24. court — for sport

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