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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. plane — a tool
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pound — a weight
  9. deal — to handle
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. band — a ring
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stock — goods
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stock — shares
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rock — a stone
  23. band — a music group
  24. stock — a soup base

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