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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. band — a music group
  6. last — finally
  7. firm — decided
  8. staff — employees
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. bore — to tire
  13. staff — a stick
  14. drill — a practice
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — the tool
  17. last — to go on
  18. pop — music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. sharp — clever
  21. drill — army training
  22. last — final
  23. band — a ring
  24. bore — to drill

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