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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a music group
  8. branch — a division
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. band — a ring
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. game — wild animals

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