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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. band — a music group
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. mug — a face
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. band — a ring
  18. pop — soda
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cell — in biology
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — shares

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