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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. firm — steady
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — a company
  8. ball — a great time
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. firm — decided
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. band — a ring
  17. fine — high quality
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mine — for digging
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fine — all right

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