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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. band — a music group
  6. rule — government
  7. pop — to visit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — to shout
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pop — soda
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ground — the earth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cue — a hint
  18. row — a line
  19. rule — a law
  20. pop — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cue — for pool
  24. row — a quarrel

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