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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — clothes
  3. face — to point toward
  4. suit — in cards
  5. band — a music group
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. scale — size or range
  12. band — a ring
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. game — wild animals
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. scale — in music
  21. branch — a division
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. suit — to fit
  24. game — a match

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