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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. club — a group
  7. band — a ring
  8. club — for golf
  9. field — a subject
  10. pop — soda
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — farmland
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a music group
  15. field — for sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. staff — employees
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lash — to lash out

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