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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a music group
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a ring
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a trace
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. sharp — clever
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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