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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bark — to shout
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. present — a gift
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — a series
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rash — hasty
  11. content — happy
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. band — a music group
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. band — a ring
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. present — the time now
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. present — there
  24. stand — to bear

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