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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. present — a gift
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — the time now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. band — a ring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — after costs
  18. present — there
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — hurry

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