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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — to fit
  6. band — a music group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. march — the month
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. suit — clothes
  16. march — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. march — the month
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. suit — in cards
  24. band — a ring

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