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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — of the year
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mug — a face
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rule — a law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. vault — a safe
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. band — a music group
  18. staff — employees
  19. season — in sport
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rule — government
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. degree — an amount

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