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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — for a lock
  13. track — a path
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kid — to tease
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — child
  20. track — to keep track
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. track — a song

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