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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — a law
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — to get on
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a music group
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rule — government
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — music
  24. kick — in football

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