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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. board — to get on
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. board — a committee
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. band — a ring
  8. mate — to breed
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a music group
  12. fine — all right
  13. mate — a friend
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mate — a partner
  18. shower — rain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fine — high quality
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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