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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fine — all right
  5. scale — in music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — high quality
  13. band — a ring
  14. root — the cause
  15. present — there
  16. vault — a safe
  17. root — of a word
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. present — a gift
  20. scale — size or range
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. present — the time now
  24. bat — in an idiom

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