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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — for catching
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a music group
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mate — to breed
  17. net — in sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. ball — a great time
  22. net — after costs
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mate — a friend

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