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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 116 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. firm — decided
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. season — of the year
  7. firm — a company
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — music
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. firm — steady
  21. rush — hurry
  22. band — a ring
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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