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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. band — a ring
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — in cards
  10. band — a music group
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. date — the fruit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. foot — a measure
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hand — help
  24. rock — to move gently

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