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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. firm — a company
  3. pop — music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. band — a music group
  6. pop — to visit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — steady
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. band — a ring
  15. face — to confront
  16. firm — decided
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. face — part of the head
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — soda

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